Xmas gifting, Acadian Maple Mustard

Spectacular achievement is always preceded by unspectacular preparation. – Robert H. Schuller

The jars were $1.50 each at the Dollarstore. Each one holds about 1.5 cups.

Some things just have to be made ahead. There’s no getting around it, especially if you’re making things for Christmas gifts.

Today on Nova Scotia’s South Shore we received a rude announcement to the fact Christmas is getting very close. It came in the form of about an inch of overnight snow. It was the first of the season. For a while it seemed that autumn would go on forever. Yesterday’s day time temperature was 14°C.

But, according to the calendar, Christmas is a mere 4 weeks away. So one best get cracking, especially for homemade gifts that have to “sit.”

One gift that is a sure-fire winner to give, and amazingly easy to make, is mustard. All you need is some liquid, seeds and a blender. Most recipes require no cooking, and a basic recipe can be tailored very easily.

This recipe is based on my Cognac, but with a maple syrup sweetness and some lemon thyme from the garden. (Which I dug out of the snow!)

I have made many mustards to give as gifts over the past few years and posted the recipes on this site. Some of my past forays were:

Porter, Onion & Thyme Mustard

Rustic Cognac Mustard

Apple Mustard

Dijon (two recipes)

Yellow Hot Dog

and Lumbard Mustard (a resurrected 14th Century recipe)

What gourmet (or gourmand) wouldn’t love a jar? Except maybe the hot dog mustard...

The only caveat is they all, although capable of being used after 4 days, benefit from sitting for a month. The flavours smooth out and blend together better.

So that’s why it’s important to get a move on. Santa will be overhead before we know it. If you’re going to put some things in his sleigh, the time is nigh.

This recipe makes 5 cups of mustard. That's a lot, or in other words, enough for 3 really nice gifts and a small pot for me!

To refrigerate or not:

Mustard is very anti-bacterial stuff and has been used as one for millennia. Prepared mustard is also acidic. Some sources say refrigerate, some do not. It’s always best to err on the side of caution. So refrigerate (although it’s probably fine if you don’t.) I think it’s more of a consistency thing than anything else.

The seeds after soaking 2 days.

Acadian Maple Mustard

Time: 2 days (seed soaking)  |  Yield: About 5 cups

3/4 cup yellow mustard seeds

3/4 cup brown mustard seeds

1-1/2 cup brandy

1-1/2 cup water

6 tbsp maple syrup

6 tbsp mustard powder

3/4 cup white vinegar

1-1/2 tbsp fresh lemon thyme (or 1-1/2 tsp dried)

1-1/2 tsp sea salt

Place the seeds in a 1 L jar. Pour the brandy and water into the jar. Shake, cover and then let sit undisturbed for 1 to 2 days. Pour the entire contents into a bowl. Add the maple syrup, mustard powder, vinegar, thyme and sea salt. 

Working in small batches with a blender or food processor, process the seeds to a paste-like consistency. You can leave some of the partially visible. As you make the paste, pour it out into a clean bowl.

Fill sterilized jars with the mustard and cover tightly. Let sit for at least 4 days before serving. One month is optimal as the flavours mellow and blend.

Ready for containers.

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A 14th Century Mustard Gift

The worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones. – John Wooden 

Two 250 ml "gourmet" gifts. Add a bow and a name tag and you're done.

This is day number three in my “12 Days of Christmas” gifting series. Since our expectations of Christmas are often composed of things long past, I thought I would really take that to heart today.

This post is for an old homemade mustard – 8 centuries old! The full title of my source is The Forme of Cury: A Roll Of Ancient English Cookery, Compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the Master-Cooks of King Richard II. It contains about 200 recipes.

A copy exists in the library of the University of Manchester in the UK. At least parts of it have been digitized and put in their online library. 

The recipes outline foods prepared for the aristocracy, including stews, roast dishes, jellies, tarts and custards. Contrary to what we may think about food for the rich, most of the recipes are rather basic by today's standards with little in the way of spice or sweetness.

Mustards are among the most mentioned sauces in surviving medieval food texts. The use of mustard was widespread. This had quite a lot to do with health, or at least what they supposed would benefit their health.

Up until the 1800s, medicine was a blend of observation and spirituality, represented by the medical theory of "humours."

The theory stated there were four humours (principal fluids) in humans – black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. These were thought to have to be in balance for a person to remain healthy. 

The four humours were also associated with the four seasons: black bile with autumn, yellow bile with summer, phlegm with winter and blood with spring.

The wet, winter humour (phlegm) was considered a common hazard. Since phlegm was cold and wet, the heat and "dryness" of mustard could therefore restore balance.

The basic recipe for mustard was simple. Ground mustard seeds (black was considered better than white) were moistened with grape must, vinegar or wine. Other ingredients were added depending on region.

As written in a later typeset Elizabethan version of The Forme of Cury:

LUMBARD MUSTARD. XX.VII. V.

Take Mustard seed and waishe it & drye it in an ovene, grynde it drye. sarse it thurgh a sarse. clarifie hony with wyne & vynegur & stere it wel togedrer and make it thikke ynowz. & whan ou wilt spende erof make it thynne with wyne.

Based on my previous mustard making excursions I was able to extrapolate ingredient quantities. I guess back then master cooks just "knew."

 Just so you know, the wine vinegar only cost about $2.00 and the mustard seeds about $1.50 at the bulk food store. Pretty cheap for two most definitely gourmet gifts. It can be doubled easily, or make two batches if your blender is small.

This has quite a bite, but will mellow with age.
It screams for ham.

14th C. Lumbard Mustard*

Time: 24 hrs soak + 5 min  |  Yield: scant 2 cups

100g brown mustard seeds

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp mustard powder

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp sea salt

Place the seeds in small container with a cover. Pour the white wine vinegar over the seeds. Cover, shake and then let sit undisturbed for 24 hours.

Pour the seeds and soaking liquid in a blender or food processor with the mustard powder, honey and sea salt. Process to a paste consistency.

Put in glass jars, refrigerate and let sit at least 4 days before serving. The flavour will deepen over time.

Homemade mustard will keep for at least one year.

*The original did not soak the mustard seeds, but since I wasn’t in the mood to hand grind 1/2 cup of seeds I opted for soaking and letting the blender do all the work.

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Grilled Dijon Chicken

Decide what you want, decide what you are willing to exchange for it. Establish your priorities and go to work. – H. L. Hunt

I have to start with apologies. I’m sorry for not posting as much over the last week, which is usually daily. But more importantly I have to apologize for posting too much, at the detriment of my life off this keyboard.

It’s easy to get obsessed and I’m guilty of that – in spades, to the detriment of the far more enriching parts of life. But no more. It’s not that I’m going to disappear, but perhaps half as much as I have been doing is a better way to live. So that’s why I have been “lax” the last week. I've been thinking.

It’s not that I don’t find doing this rewarding, but there are more important things and relationships in life. Doing this is a heavy time investment.

Every post takes me about an hour and that’s not the constant planning, cooking or gardening, and photography. So you can see why It’s time, after 2-1/2 years constant, for me to back off a little. I/we need a life.

Keep all that dedication in mind when you read blog posts. They don’t drop from the sky. They’re a lot of work. So comment. Comments make it worth the time all bloggers invest in what we share.

But enough of that discussion with you, my readers. Let’s talk chicken on the barbecue, briefly. :-)

If you’re anything like me you’re probably sick to death of barbecue sauce by now. If you’ve been using your barbecue you’ve been slathering the sugary, red stuff on everything.

Here’s a different take on things. It’s a mustard marinade that you use to baste as you barbecue. The taste is amazing, herby with a distinct sweet/wine/mustardy flavour.

Two words of caution: first, because of the fat, chicken tends to flare up and burn on a barbecue. So keep an eye on it. Second, only marinate chicken on the counter for 2 hours at maximum, and make sure it’s chilled to start. You don’t want to get sick.

This recipe was a nice change. It didn’t hurt that we had fresh steamed chard from the garden to accompany it.

Grilled Dijon Chicken

Prep: 5 min  |  Marinate 2 hrs  |  BBQ: about 30 min  |  Serves 3-4

6-8 chicken thighs, skin on and bone in

1/4 cup white wine

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup dijon mustard

2 tbsp honey

1 tsp cracked black pepper

1 tsp salt

2 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a baking dish big enough to hold the chicken. Nestle the chicken into it, turning to coat well. 

Alternatively, pour the marinade over the chicken in a zip-lock bag and rub well.

Turn, or rub, the chicken at least twice during marination.

Fire up your barbecue to medium low and cook until internal temperature reaches almost 180°F. Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes. It will reach 180 while resting.

Serve with whatever sides you prefer.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Homemade Maple Syrup Mustard

Take a chance! All life is a chance. The man who goes farthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare. – Dale Carnegie 

“A generous pinch of salt.” That’s one of the measurements in this recipe.

It’s what I used and is a semi-common measurement – especially in handed down recipes – but what exactly is it? 

Well, in theory it’s what you can hold together between your thumb and forefinger. How big is your hand? Not the same size as mine. So it’s not exactly an accurate measurement, but small enough to not be a deal breaker in a recipe.

There’s two other infinitesimal measurements you may sometimes come across: smidgen and dash. Smidgen is half a pinch, and dash is two pinches. So now you know. 

The vinegar and mustard have to sit for several hours.
I mixed the mustard in a saucepan, but it then went into
a "non-reactive bowl" to bloom.

These measurements are so small as to not do much more than add a bit of flavour or spiciness to a recipe. They won’t cause your cake to bake like a brick.

If you look at old recipes you will also find directions for “handfuls” of flour and sugar. 

I do have to say that cooking and baking are two different beasts. Baking relies on chemical reactions that occur between specific quantities of ingredients. Cooking is a lot more forgiving and allows you a lot more leeway.

But where did those old terms originate and why were they used?

It can probably be safely said that they originated all over the world simultaneously. When is lost in the mists of time.

Measurements like “pinch” were used when our home kitchens were’t outfitted like high-end restaurants. Until recently most people didn’t have standardized sets of measuring spoons or cup measures.

It actually was only rather recently that cookbooks defined accurate measurements. Before then we were all supposed to know the basics of cooking. So you ended up with directions like “add butter the size of a walnut” and “sufficient salt.” 

Even early recipes that called for a teaspoon usually meant “the spoon we use for tea in the cutlery drawer” as opposed to the 4.928 ml of a US teaspoon (UK teaspoon is 3.551 ml...). 

It wasn’t until around late 1800s that accurate measurements in recipes became popular. One example was Fannie Farmer’s Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, published in 1896.

This codification had the advantage of being able to predictably reproduce recipes over and over. It also had a disadvantage. Common sense in cooking was replaced by fear. Now people are afraid to deviate even the slightest from a recipe for fear of ruining what they’re making.

But think about it. What’s the worst that can happen?

It’s too bad that most of us fear the kitchen. I fiddle with recipes all the time. That’s essentially the essence of this blog.

Cooking should be an adventure. For example, this recipe started out as honey mustard. Honey and maple syrup are close, right? Why not make a substitution?

As long as whatever you are making is cooked it probably won’t kill you. It just might not taste good. Just don’t add a pinch of arsenic.

Interestingly, unless you have “Swiss engineered” measuring spoons, you’re probably already dealing with inaccuracy in the kitchen. You can’t tell me that a set of dollar store measuring spoons deliver what they promise.

If you cook at home you may as well enjoy doing it. Eating is a very large, time consuming part of our lives. It’s a real shame that so many of us look on it as a chore instead of the delight it can be.

If you don’t take chances in the kitchen how are you ever going to make the great discovery of a new taste sensation and become world famous?

This will be used on my Canadian sausage, posted yesterday.

Maple Syrup Mustard

Time: overnight  |  Yield: about 2-1/2 small jelly jars

3/4 to 1 cup white vinegar*

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 cup yellow mustard powder

1 cup maple syrup

2 large egg yolks

1 tsp onion powder

1/2 to 1 tsp cayenne pepper

generous pinch salt

Place the mustard powder in a non-reactive bowl (like ceramic or glass). Bring 3/4 cup of white vinegar and the wine to a boil in a saucepan. Pour over the mustard powder and mix well. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

In the morning (or 8 hours later) pour the mustard back into a saucepan. 

Taste the mustard for spiciness. Mix the maple syrup, yolks, onion powder, cayenne and salt together. Use either amount of cayenne, depending on how hot your mustard mixture is.

Mix the maple and mustard together and slowly bring to a boil over medium high heat, whisking constantly.

Once the mixture comes to a boil continue to cook, whisking, for 2 more minutes. If the mustard is too thick, add the remaining vinegar. It will set up more as it cools.

Remove from the heat and pour into jars. Keep refrigerated. The mustard will last for 3 months.

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Questions? Comments? Derogatory remarks? Just ask! I’ll answer quickly and as best as I can. If you like this post feel free to share it. If you repost, please give me credit and a link back to this site.

Classic Homemade Hot Dog Mustard

Failure is the condiment that gives success its flavour. – Truman Capote

Feeling a bit yellow today. So I thought that this recipe just might fit the bill. It’s a summer staple and, like all condiments, are actually a breeze to make at home. It’s not even all that time consuming. I can (almost) promise no failure if you make it. 

This is mustard powder. It's best to start with it rather than
grind your own. It's so much less work.

This is the classic yellow hot dog mustard that is ubiquitous burgers and hot dog cookouts throughout the summer. It’s not that “lurid” yellow like we find in stores, but it’s close. I have no idea how they get that colour, and I probably don’t want to know.

You can buy mustard powder quite inexpensively at either a bulk food store or even groceries. They have several kinds and you can tailor this recipe to your liking. Try some brown mustard flour, or throw in a little hot.

Mustard use has a very long history. Romans were most likely first off the mark to use it as a condiment as opposed to just a spice. They mixed “must” (unfermented grape juice) with ground mustard seeds to make what they called “mustum ardens,” or burning must. That’s where our term “must-ard” originates.

If you’ve ever made homemade mustard you’ll know that “burning” can be an apt description. You can make some really heady stuff.

A recipe for mustard appears in a 4th or 5th Century cookbook called Apicius, that was anonymously complied at that time. It is one of the most complete snapshots into the culinary life of the Romans. There are some very interesting recipes in that book. I have an abridged copy.

The spices.

From the Mediterranean, mustard seeds were probably taken to old Gaul (currently France). By the 10th Century monks were making their own mustards to accompany their meagre meals. Many of the famous French mustards owe their early origins to monasteries in towns around the countryside.

All the European countries have their own individual mustards, made not only from ground seeds but also cracked, or whole. Taste differences are accounted for in what is put with the seeds.

This site contains several mustard recipes including two Dijon, Oktoberfest, Cognac and beer thyme mustard, plus a few more.

On this side of the Atlantic, mustard as a condiment was first introduced at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair. The product was French’s Mustard, by the R.T. French Company. It is arguably still the most common North American mustard for hotdogs and hamburgers to this day.

A version of this common hot dog/hamburger mustard is the recipe outlined below. Like all mustards, this one benefits from sitting for about one week, but it can be used immediately after cooling if required.

I don’t know if it’s because I made this or not, but I quite like it. I usually don’t like “plain” yellow mustard. It must be a self-sufficiency satisfaction thing. Whatever makes it taste so good, t this one’s certainly going to be made again for this summer.

Homemade Yellow Mustard

Prep: 2 min  |  Cook: 10 min  |  Purée: 2 min  |  Yield: about 2 cups

1 cup ground mustard (regular or hot)

1 cup water

3/4 cup white vinegar

1 tsp flour

2 tsp salt

1 tsp turmeric

3/4 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1 tbsp lemon juice

Combine all ingredients except for the cayenne and lemon juice in a small saucepan. Whisk until smooth and then bring to a boil. Regular mustard powder yields a mild mustard.

Once the mixture boils, reduce the heat to medium and let cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove from the heat and let cool slightly. Taste for spiciness.

Pour the mustard into a food processor. Add as much cayenne as you feel you want (if any), and the lemon juice.

Purée for 2 minutes to mix well and smooth the mustard out even more.

If the mustard appears a little grainy don’t worry. Sitting in the refrigerator will help smooth it out even a little more. It will also thicken when cooled.

Place in jars and refrigerate.

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Gifting: 14th C. Lumbard Mustard

Nobody grows old merely by living a number of years. We grow old by deserting our ideals. Years may wrinkle the skin, but to give up enthusiasm wrinkles the soul. – Samuel Ullman 

Two 250 ml jars, nearly full.

You know you’re special when you’re given something really out of the ordinary. How much more out of the ordinary can you get than a mustard recreated from an ancient recipe?

The Forme of Cury. Photo: University of Manchester Library website.

This is an old recipe. Very old to be exact. It's from a medieval manuscript. Believe it or not, mustards are among the most mentioned sauces in surviving medieval food texts. 

Mustard was cultivated and eaten in Rome, was known in France in the late 700s, and in England and Germany by the 1100s. Like the Romans, medieval mustard was created by pounding seed in a mortar and moistening with vinegar. 

Differences occurred regionally as well as nationally. French mustards usually had spices. An English recipe of 1615 added onion and pepper. This recipe is English, but far earlier in date.

The use of mustard in medieval times was widespread. This had quite a lot to do with their health, or at least what they supposed would benefit their health.

Mustard as a medieval medicinal

Up until the 1800s, medicine was a blend of observation and spirituality. This is illustrated by the medical theory of "humours."

The theory stated that within every person there were four humours (principal fluids) – black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. These were thought to be produced by various organs in the body, and they had to be in balance for a person to remain healthy. 

The four humours were also associated with the four seasons: black bile with autumn, yellow bile with summer, phlegm with winter and blood with spring.

As an example of their thought process, too much phlegm in the body caused lung problems. The phlegm wasn’t a result – it was the cause. The balance of humours could be realigned by diet, medicines, and blood-letting (leeches). 

The wet, winter humour (phlegm) was considered a common hazard. Since phlegm was cold and wet, the heat and "dryness" of mustard could therefore restore balance.

The basic recipe for mustard was simple. Ground mustard seeds (black was considered better than white) were moistened with grape must, vinegar or wine. Other ingredients were added depending on region.

The Forme of Cury

This is my departure point to recreate this ancient condiment:

The Forme of Cury: A Roll Of Ancient English Cookery,

Compiled, about A.D. 1390, by the

Master-Cooks of King Richard II

The Forme of Cury, 'the (proper) method of cookery,' is the best known surviving guide to medieval cooking. The surviving manuscript contains around 200 recipes, compiled by the master cooks in the Royal Household of Richard II of England. 

The original is now in the possession of the University of Manchester in the UK. They are currently digitizing it so we can all see it.

The recipes outline the foods prepared for the highest classes, including stews, roast dishes, jellies, tarts and custards. Contrary to what we may think about food for the rich, most recipes are rather basic by today's standards with little in the way of spice or sweetness.

  

As written in the manuscript:

LUMBARD MUSTARD. XX.VII. V.

Take Mustard seed and waishe it & drye it in an ovene, grynde it drye. farse it thurgh a farse. clarifie hony with wyne & vynegur & stere it wel togedrer and make it thikke ynowz. & whan ou wilt spende erof make it tnynne with wyne.

Got that? I think I do. Just so you know, the wine vinegar only cost about $1.50 and the mustard seeds were $1.19. Pretty cheap for two most definitely gourmet gifts.

Lumbard mustard. It's got quite a bite, which will mellow
somewhat as it ages. It beckons for ham.

14th C. Lumbard Mustard*

Makes a scant 2 cups

100g brown mustard seeds

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 tbsp mustard powder

2 tbsp honey

3/4 tsp sea salt

Place the seeds in small jar with a cover. Pour the white wine vinegar into the jar with the seeds. Shake and then let sit undisturbed for 24  hours.

Place the seeds and soaking liquid in a blender or food processor with the mustard powder, honey and sea salt. Process to a paste consistency.

Put in glass jars, and let sit at least 4 days before serving. The flavour will deepen over time.

*The original did not soak the mustard seeds, but since I wasn’t in the mood to hand grind 1/2 cup of seeds I opted for soaking and letting the blender do all the work.

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Recipe: Dijon Pork Chops with Red Wine Apple Mash

We'd all like a reputation for generosity, and we'd all like to buy it cheap. – Mignon McLaughlin

No, that is NOT cranberry sauce. It's better!!

Related recipes:
Sweet Potato Gnocchi
Homemade Dijon Mustard 1 or
Homemade Dijon Mustard 2

This sounds complicated and a little on the fancy side. Well, it's not complicated, but it is "special." And what if I told you that the only two things you may have to buy are some pork chops and apples? 

I kid you not. Every other regular kitchen I know will have everything else that is used. Except maybe the red wine… But shouldn’t every kitchen have a bottle – if not for in the food, for in the chef?

The chops with the rub, ready for the broiler.

I wanted to have something cheap for dinner. It may not seem like it, but just like everyone else I have a budget that I try to stick to for groceries.

As such, when I go foraging at the grocery store what I decide to make is often determined by what I can find marked down or on sale.

Today at the store I found boneless pork rib chops ($2.99/lb) and Fiji apples (99¢/lb). 

The chops were nicely marbled and perfect for broiling. If possible always buy fat marbled pork for grilling or broiling. It keeps the meat moist. Lean pork usually ends up as a dry piece of leather.

I escaped with enough food for four for under $7. How’s that for frugal?

A test of how well you know your kitchen is how nimble you are in thinking up recipes on the fly – like when you’re standing in the produce department. A good cook knows what's already in their larder and then only buys what they need. It opens up your creativity if you know what combinations you can make with what you already have.

It's actually easy. We've all eaten many meals. Just think of what went together… Once I found the pork I went running to the apple display. Pork chops and apple sauce are a standard. Then I had to figure out what went with both. Mustard, garlic and sage became the basis for my rub since they all pair well with pork. I added a little brown sugar help brown the exterior of the chops, and salt and pepper were no-brainers.

The apple mash before cooking. I really didn't know
what colour it would end up being.

The apple “sauce” was a different matter, slightly. To “spice it up” I switched out the water for red wine. After all, the bottle was just sitting there on the counter begging to be used. I also added a little cinnamon (usual) and sage and garlic (both unusual). I could have even added a touch of Dijon if I wanted, but resisted the urge.

The sage and garlic make an interesting, slightly savoury apple mash, which is great with any pork cut. 

So I had pork chops and apple mash, each with varying quantities of sage and garlic. Each had its own high accent, but each the same base.

To complete the lack of effort required to make this dinner, choose a side that doesn’t take a lot of work, like rice or couscous.

I happened to have some frozen sweet potato gnocchi leftover from 2 weeks ago (recipe here). They are as fast to boil as couscous is to sit. I then tossed them briefly in a butter-sage-garlic sauce. Perfect!

Dijon Pork Chops with Red Wine Apple Mash

Prep: 15 min  |  Cook: 20 min  |  Serves 4

Done, but still moist.

Dijon Pork Chops

2 lbs rib chops, 1” thick, bone removed

1/2 tsp sage

1 tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp brown sugar

2 tsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, mashed

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp cracked black pepper

Combine all the ingredients except for the chops in a bowl. Rub the mixture over the chops. Broil the chops for about 7 minutes per side, or until done to your liking. 

Let rest for 4-5 minutes before serving.

Red Wine Apple Mash

3 apples, peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup red wine

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/2 tsp garlic

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of rubbed sage

Pare, core and slice the apples. 

Combine with the remaining ingredients in a sauce pan. Bring to a simmer, cover ad let cook for 20 minutes. 

If the apples are not broken down enough give them a light mash with a potato masher. 

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Recipe: Homemade Dijon Mustard No. 2

For my original Dijon Mustard recipe look here.
Don't give the people what they want  – give them something better. – Samuel Roxy Rothafel

Delicious homemade Dijon mustard (no.2).

Homemade mustard is amazingly easy to make, and it is a wonderful gift to give and receive. Last Christmas I gave away small jars of several different kinds and received compliments well after the Christmas season. People love homemade mustard.

Step 1: simmer wine, onion and garlic

I should know. I have had more hits on this blog due to my Dijon recipe than any other post by far. It's only rival (by half) is my Maritime Brown Bread recipe (here).

I guess that many of us share two qualities: we love our Dijon, and we hate to pay the price it is in stores. I suppose that is why many of us look to blogs and other online sources to make our own things.

I love Dijon mustard. In fact I hardly ever use any other kind of mustard, in a "daily" capacity. There’s many other wonderful ones but Dijon is my standby. I have posted Dijon “1” as well as an amazing cognac mustard, oktoberfest, porter beer and yellow hot dog. Click the names to see the recipes.

But I always wanted to tinker with my Dijon recipe. The reason was not so much that my first recipe wasn’t “bang on” (it was…). I wanted to see the difference that varying method and ingredients slightly would make. I know from my own mustard making that small modifications yield big changes. I guess I was looking for  variation within the family, kind of like different commercial brands of Dijon have different taste.

Step 2: purée

Humans have used mustard for a long time. The Greeks used it more as medicine because of its super antibacterial properties. Hippocrates made poultices and mustard plasters (thick pastes) to treat things as varied as scorpion stings and toothaches. It took the early Romans before it was used as a food.

We’ve come a long way, baby – to paraphrase the Virginia Slims cigarette slogan of the late 1960s. Homemade (and commercial) mustards now have so may wonderful ingredients and flavours it boggles the mind.

I do have to say, my meddling turned out very well. My slight changes (more onion flavour, a little more honey and a shot of cayenne) really made a wonderful difference. This is not a honey Dijon. Not by a long stretch. That will be coming in the future.

Step 3:  strain the wine into the mustard, cayenne, salt, oil

I'm looking for a recipe...

There is one homemade mustard that has eluded me. It’s called Pommery. Mustard Pommery has been made in only one location in France – Meaux – since the early 1600s by the Pommery family. It has graced the tables of presidents and kings.

Apparently it is a close cousin of Dijon. The recipe is unknown outside the manufacturer but supposedly two differences are  1) it is grainy and  2) uses vinegar instead of wine. Other than that who knows...

This mustard is at the top of the list of anyone interested in fine food and fine ingredients.

If anyone has cobbled together a reasonable facsimile please let me know. I would be forever in your debt. That’s Pommery mustard. I would really appreciate it.

But back to Dijon No. 2… Make this mustard. It won’t be your last time.

To check out my other five mustard recipes here click the links below:

Dijon Mustard (No. 1)

Porter Beer Mustard

Oktoberfest Mustard

Cognac Mustard

Yellow Hot Dog Mustard

Step 4: Whisk until thickened over heat.

Homemade Dijon Mustard No. 2

Prep: 5 min  |  Cook: 20 min  |  Yield 500 ml

2 cups chardonnay (or other good white)

3/4 cup minced onion

2 cloves minced garlic

3 tbsp honey 

1-1/4 cup dry yellow mustard 

1 tbsp sunflower oil 

1 tsp salt 

generous pinch of cayenne pepper 

optional: a slight pinch of turmeric

In a small saucepan, heat garlic, wine and onion, bringing to a boil. Then simmer for 5 minutes and remove from heat. Purée the mixture with a stick blender, food processor or blender. It doesn’t have to be smooth. Set aside in a glass or ceramic bowl for 10 minutes.

Step 5: Add the honey, honey.

Add the dry mustard to the saucepan. Add the salt and cayenne and mix well. Add the sunflower oil and then strain the wine mixture over top to remove the remaining solids. Whisk until smooth, making sure there are no lumps. 

Place over medium heat and cook until the mixture thickens, about 3 minutes. Add the honey and cook for a further 3 minutes. The mixture will thicken more when refrigerated.

Add a little turmeric if you wish. I compared this mustard to a jar of purchased Dijon and that addition would have brought the colour to exactly the same creamy yellow hue.

Remove from heat and place in a 500 ml, or smaller jars if gifting. 

It takes a couple days for the mustard flavours to meld completely, but it can be used as soon as it cools if you wish.

Step 6: bottle, refrigerate and you're done. Easy, right??

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